Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Flivver King, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Capitalism and Dehumanization
American Idealism and Disillusionment
Misinformation, Media Bias, and Ignorance
Individualism vs. Unionization
Technology and Progress
Summary
Analysis
In spite of Ford telling his workers to vote for President Hoover, F.D.R. wins the election. Almost at once the finance industry breaks down completely, although people argue whether to blame Hoover or Roosevelt for this. Once in office, F.D.R. decides to provide relief for the country’s poorest people. When those people immediately spend it on things like food and clothing, the industries start to pick up again. Ironically, after regaining success, the banks then turn against F.D.R. and call him a dictator.
F.D.R. recognizes how the capitalist system and constant desire for profits has led to the economic crisis. Rather than giving money to the banks, as Hoover did, F.D.R. provides relief to those who need it the most, knowing that they will spend it and stimulate the economy. This strategy is similar to Ford’s initial policies: providing people with high wages stimulates the economy and gives people the power to buy his cars. The same holds true here, illustrating the need to ensure people have livable wages.
Themes
Ford, too, turns on F.D.R., despite the fact that Ford also regained success with the president’s policies. F.D.R.’s administration establishes the National Recovery Administration (NRA), which prevents manufacturers from pursuing blind overproduction and protect workers from wage-cutting. Ford refuses to take part in this, leaving it to the government to boycott his car if they don’t like his policies. Abner doesn’t pay attention to these political developments; he is simply preoccupied with working and saving money to withstand another economic downturn.
The NRA is F.D.R.’s attempt to regulate businesses and ensure that workers are being paid fairly. Two years later, however, the Supreme Court declares the NRA unconstitutional; however, historians credit the law with spurring the growth of unions. Abner’s ignorance of these policies demonstrates another obstacle to unionization: working-class people are often so concerned with making a living that they don’t have the time or energy to fight for proper regulations and labor rights.
Themes
